Introducing.... Sock Baby! Who wants one?

From your head to your toes,
You're not much, goodness knows.
But you're so precious to me,
Sweet as can be, baby of mine.
- Baby Mine

Meet Sock Baby! He is inspired by a vintage baby rattle. I hand embroidered the "E" and roses. He even has a little bell inside!

This one is for my friend Brigitte, who just had a baby named Eliot. But because I think everyone needs one of these... it's time for my first giveaway!

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post. Please make sure I have a way to contact you. The winner will be chosen randomly. I'll be accepting entries until September 10th.

I can make these in blue, green, pink, yellow or purple, and can use a tan or brown sock for different skin colors. If you don't have a baby yet, but are planning to - I can make a yellow one with your last name initial or just the word baby or extra flowers. If you have twins, I'll make you an extra one to match (because you deserve something extra for having twins, right?). This sock baby would also make a cute gift!

Song for Sunday - Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
- written by John Newton

John Newton was a British slave trader and atheist who mocked others who believed in God. He was known for being profane and a troublemaker. After surviving a storm at sea, he began to question God and wondered if he could ever deserve God's grace. He struggled with what he believed for many years and finally left the slave trade and began to study theology. He became a minister and an abolitionist and helped create the Slave Trade Act of 1807.

"But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and now is found."
Luke 15:32

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power will rest on me."
2 Corinthians 12:9

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no man can boast."
Ephesians 2:8-9

The Cutest Thing I've Ever Made!

Curious? You should be. Especially if your name is Brigitte and you just had a baby.
It involves this:
...and it's not another sock puppet.
3 days until the big reveal and my first giveaway!!!

Parmesan Mushroom Rissoto

This is good. Creamy, ricey, cheesy good.

1 package of assorted mushrooms or baby bella mushrooms rinsed
4 cups chicken broth (homemade is best)
4 T butter
2 shallots
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (or another 1/2 cup of chicken broth)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a medium sized pot. Saute the shallots for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the rice and stir it with the butter and shallots. Add 1 cup chicken broth, salt, pepper, mushrooms and 1/2 cup wine and stir until the broth and wine are absorbed. Continue adding chicken broth 1 cup at a time. Stir until it's absorbed before adding more. This will take about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the cheese. Keep covered until ready to serve.

We ate it with pork tenderloin and green beans sauteed with garlic.


This recipe is modified from Ina Garten's wild mushroom risotto
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/wild-mushroom-risotto-recipe/index.html
Her's is better. Mine is cheaper (and still good).

Decoupage Plates and Bulletin Board

Before my daughter was born, my mother-in-law and I made these cute decoupage plates for the nursery.

This one's my favorite:

To make these you need:

1. clear glass plates (look at thrift stores or the dollar store)
2. pictures or fabric
3. mod podge
4. foam brushes
5. background acrylic paint
6. black acrylic paint
7. plate hanger and ribbon

Clean your plate with soap and water and let it dry. Cut your picture or fabric to match the flat circle in the middle of the plate (a compass, or a bowl or coffee can with the same circumference helps). Put mod podge all over the picture using one of the foam brushes. Put the picture on the back of the plate and smooth out bubbles. Let it dry. Paint over the back of the plate with the background color (mine was green). Let it dry. Paint over the background paint with black paint to give it a finished look. Let it dry. Attach plate hanger and ribbon.

In a couple months I'm planning to make plates with some vintage Christmas cards I bought on ebay. They will be perfect for Christmas cookies! Only 112 days until Christmas!

I have really enjoyed these plates, but it's time to change things up. My daughter is in preschool now, and we need a place to display her masterpieces (other than our already cluttered refrigerator). I found a cute framed bulletin board at TJ Max and personalized it with fabric, felt and yarn. It was easy to make, and she loves it!

Getting Away From the Box

With two small kids around, macaroni and cheese is a necessity of life. We try to stick to the organic type, but I still feel a little guilty about feeding them something with powdered cheese.
What is that stuff?
Yesterday, I made baked macaroni and cheese, and my 3 yr old and husband both approved.
You may be thinking that mac and cheese is not really healthy.
But in the South, every meat-n-three restaurant I've ever been to always lists mac and cheese as a vegetable. I think they may be on to something...

The recipe I used was similar to this one:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1694205
except I added a chopped onion and bay leaf to the milk mixture and let it simmer while the pasta cooked. Then strained the milk (to remove the onion) before adding the cheese and pasta. If you want to make it more vegetable-ish - you can add broccoli, a can of diced tomatoes, spinach, etc.

Chicken Spezzatino

For dinner on Monday night I made chicken spezzatino.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chicken-artichoke-and-cannellini-bean-spezzatino-recipe/index.html

The recipe I followed was slightly different from this one and didn't include artichokes or pancetta, but I'm sure adding those would make it even better!

I like this recipe because, it doesn't take all day - like most soups/stews. I also made it faster by using little baby carrots instead of peeling and chopping big carrots. If you look very closely, you might see that I used garbanzo beans. That's only because my 3 yr old was playing hopscotch on the bean aisle, and I grabbed the wrong can. The recipe I followed actually called for kidney beans. Grocery shopping with small kids is like trying to ride a bike and juggle at the same time, and I like to think we are just as entertaining.